Why Swedes are so obsessed with summer and sunshine

If you want to go to a store during summer time somewhere in Sweden, you might see a sign at the entrance door, saying, “sommarstängd” – closed during summer. Even the authorities and have special opening hours during summer. Offices are usually almost empty during that period of the year. It seems like the whole society is on annual company holidays.

The reason for that is simple. The Swedish winter is long, very long. The trees often turn green first in the beginning of May. The leaves turn turn into their autumn colors roughly in the end of September (depeneding on how far north you live in Sweden). In other words, the Swedes have a very short summer. Warm summer weather, with a chance of sunbathing and swimming in the lakes often is no longer than three months.

The darkness in the winter – with only a few hours of sunlight per day – makes the Swedes adore the sun even more.

Consequently, short summers in combination with a high sunlight-appreciation results in summer obsession of the Swedes. And that’s why almost no one is working during the summer time in Sweden.